US 11,713,635 B2
Mobility platform for efficient downhole navigation of robotic device
Abubaker Saeed, Dhahran (SA); Shazad Sadick, Brooklyn, NY (US); Jeffrey Shasho, Brooklyn, NY (US); Jonathan Bohren, Brooklyn, NY (US); Narmeen Khan, Brooklyn, NY (US); Elijah Pivo, Brooklyn, NY (US); Anthony Musco, Brooklyn, NY (US); and Lonnell Ahiyya, Brooklyn, NY (US)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/6,232.
Prior Publication US 2022/0065058 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 47/08 (2012.01); E21B 23/14 (2006.01); E21B 23/00 (2006.01); E21B 47/13 (2012.01)
CPC E21B 23/001 (2020.05) [E21B 23/14 (2013.01); E21B 47/08 (2013.01); E21B 47/13 (2020.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mobility platform having a mobility platform longitudinal axis and capable of traveling in a downhole environment, comprising:
a sensor module having a sensor housing disposed at a distal end of the mobility platform, wherein the sensor module is configured to detect a feature of the downhole environment;
a first drive module having a first drive housing disposed along the mobility platform longitudinal axis adjacent to the sensor housing and having three first tractor treads extendable out from the first drive housing and retractable into the first drive housing, wherein the three first tractor treads are spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the mobility platform longitudinal axis;
a second drive module having a second drive housing disposed along the mobility platform longitudinal axis and having three second tractor treads extendable out from the second drive housing and retractable into the second drive housing, wherein the three second tractor treads are spaced 120 degrees apart from each other about the mobility platform longitudinal axis, and wherein the three second tractor treads are rotated by a non-zero angle relative to the mobility platform longitudinal axis to be spaced by the non-zero angle relative to the three first tractor treads; and
a computing module having a computing housing disposed along the mobility platform longitudinal axis between the first and second drive housings and configured to determine a first width of an upcoming portion of the downhole environment from the feature;
wherein the computing module is further configured to:
control the first and second drive modules to extend the first and second tractor treads from the first and second drive housings, respectively, or retract the first and second tractor treads into the first and second drive housings, respectively, to have a second width less than a first width to fit the mobility platform in the upcoming portion, and
control the first and second drive modules to drive the first and second tractor treads to move the mobility platform in the upcoming portion.